Department of Agriculture confirms two cases of African Swine Fever

The department said the Agricultural Research Council (ARC) Onderstepoort Veterinary Institute (OVI) confirmed the two cases on Thursday.

Department spokesman Makenosi Maroo said the two cases were discovered in "one communal set up in Ipelegeng Township near Schweizer Reneke in the North West province and on a farm near Koffiefontein in the Free State".

Maroo said in both cases "a large number of pigs started showing signs suspicious of the disease and the vets were called out to investigate".

They collected samples which were sent to the ARC OVI to investigate.

"African Swine Fever is always on the top of the suspect list and the two cases seem likely not to be related," said Maroo.

The department was urging pig owners, particularly those around the vicinity of the outbreak, to be vigilant.

"Contact between wild pigs and domestic pigs should be avoided as the disease readily transmits between infected pigs," said Maroo.

"Domestic pigs are highly susceptible and most of the infected pigs will show severe haemorrhagic symptoms and will die soon after contracting ASF. A small proportion of animals may survive and will carry the ASF virus for a few months without any signs of disease but with the ability to infect in-contact pigs."

Maroo said feeding pigs swill was prohibited under the Animal Diseases Act unless it was cooked to kill all bacteria and viruses that could be transmitted to pigs.

"Control measures in the ASF control zone aim to prevent contact between warthog and domestic pigs to prevent the disease from circulating in the domestic pig population," she said.

"If the disease gets into the wild pig population, we may end up with an endemic situation being created, which will result in outbreaks being reported periodically and affecting trade of pigs and pig products from the country." - ANA